Afghan bomb injures 5 Swedish troops

A roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Wednesday injured five Swedish troops and killed their interpreter, Sweden's armed forces said. The explosion happened at 0900 GMT some 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.

The troops were participating in a joint patrol with Afghan soldiers.

All five Swedes have been transferred to a NATO hospital for treatment. No details on the extent of their injuries were released.

Almost 500 Swedish NATO troops are stationed in the north of Afghanistan.

The blast coincided with the visit of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who was holding talks with President Hamid Karzai and his former election rival Abdullah Abdullah.